Love them or hate them, Smokers kept casinos afloat

[Talesman]

Smoking bans, which are now coupled with the faltering economy, are crippling casinos world-wide.

nolinks://nolinks.davehitt.com/facts/badforbiz/category/venues/casinos/

[Spike]

I know some of you smoke, but damn its irratating to those of us who don't. My eyes burn, my throat is sometimes raw, my eyes often water if someone next to me is smoking. I'm not one of those people who think its all that dangerous, its just stinks and irritates. I take 4 Ibuprofun tabs when I first sit down because I've learned the hard way that I'll have a crushing headache in an hour if I don't, because of the smoke.  I know it can't be banned from most casinos, I just wish they would stay the hell away from me. And you would feel the same if the situation was reversed..

[VLSroulette]

Those casinos I visit at times have like fog; gee, here it seems smokers outnumber non-smokers in a huge proportion; when crowded, fresh air takes a walk.

Every time I go to local casinos I come stinking to smoke, which is unfair as I'm a non-smoker... Also, I can understand why betting online appeals to some precisely because of this smoking issue, but personally I take smoke as one of the many things against me (just one more bothering feature) when going to play at the casino.

In Venezuela, it seems smoking at the casino is here to stay... sigh...

[Talesman]

I do smoke and do try to be considerate but sometimes the anti-smokers make that impossible.

I could tell you over a dozen true stories of my encounters but suffice to say most revolve around the same thing. I have been at a table for over an hour. Either I have been playing solo or the others who have come and gone were also smokers. Then up pops the anti-smoking zealot who does nothing but whine the whole time (and why do they have to take the spot next to me when they CLEARLY could see a lit cigarette?). We usually have words. Directing them to the non-smoking table, which is usually empty or nearly empty, does no good.

Now on the opposite side if I enter a table where smoking is allowed but I do not see anyone else smoking I will ask my immediate table mate if my smoking will be a problem with them. If they say yes then I will do my best to refrain until they leave. I firmly believe in proprietary or seniority rights.

Casinos could also do a better job of pulling the air UP instead of creating a draft where the smoke is pushed in a lateral direction thereby pushing it in the face of countless others.

I think my biggest grip is that in many casinos where management has gone out of their way to provide non-smoking tables the non-smokers barely avail themselves of those tables and insist on playing the smoking tables and then b***h and moan about us smokers. I am so sorely tempted to give them a leg sweep and knock them on their ass but too many cameras abound to pull that off w/o getting into certifiable trouble.
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And in recent news:

Atlantic City Council votes to delay full smoking ban


Published: Wednesday, October 08, 2008


6:45 p.m. Update - ATLANTIC CITY -- An ordinance that would delay the implementation of a complete smoking ban on Atlantic City's casino floors passed on first reading by a 5-4 vote Wednesday. It must still pass on second reading, or the smoking ban goes into effect Oct. 15.

The casinos have been lobbying City Council to delay the full ban, arguing that it would further harm their bottom lines in a market already hurting from the state of the national economy. They say a full ban would send more customers to other casinos where smoking is allowed.

Public safety officials were limiting access to the council meeting earlier Wednesday after hundreds jammed council chambers to weigh in on the vote.

nolinks://nolinks.pressofatlanticcity.com/185/story/279828.html

What's interesting is that the casino workers are the biggest whiners (see the photo). Their layoffs have been numerous already and with a 100% ban, more layoffs are sure to come. Either they hate their jobs, hate management and the stockholders or are totally stupid.

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More news:

AC casinos likely had biggest decline ever in Sept

nolinks://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081009/nj_casino_revenues.html?.v=1

"The timing is the worst possible time to implement a smoking ban,"

Mullin estimated that if a smoking ban took effect next week, the city could experience a 25 to 30 percent decline going forward.

"These are difficult times," added Mark Juliano, CEO of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which operates three casinos here. "The Atlantic City casino industry is simply not in a position to absorb another negative factor."

But, hey, the corrupt city council is only doing the will of the people. Now guess the next step...with the loss of casino revenue the government will seek to INCREASE the tax on casinos to make up the shortfall. Democrats never learn. What does that mean to patrons? Worse games and severely tighter slots. That's inevitable. Let's hope the patrons are stupid enough to keep returning to play.

[Talesman]

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